


Support

by galia_carrots, MeredithBrody



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Companion Piece, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-29
Updated: 2016-07-29
Packaged: 2018-07-27 10:33:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7614688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galia_carrots/pseuds/galia_carrots, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeredithBrody/pseuds/MeredithBrody
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erika is there to support Jon and convince him that when bad things happen it isn't always his fault (Companion piece to Galia's "A Tear for the Vulnerable")</p>
            </blockquote>





	Support

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [A Tear for the Vulnerable](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7123705) by [galia_carrots](https://archiveofourown.org/users/galia_carrots/pseuds/galia_carrots). 



Erika was waiting when _Enterprise_ arrived at Vulcan. Stepping through the airlock to  _ Enterprise _ she greeted Trip first, unable to resist giving him a gentle hug. Knowing that this couldn't be easy for him. She told him that he was still part of  _ Columbia _ 's family, even if he wasn't still a serving member of her crew, and that made Elizabeth part of the family as well. There was still a camaraderie, a loyalty, something that was rarely replicated in civilian life. Veronica was stood next to her and echoed the sentiments too. 

She didn't feel put out that Jon hung back and away from her until after the more formal parts of  _ Enterprise  _ and  _ Columbia _ 's reunion were done with. Then the two of them fell into step at the back of the throng walking toward the briefing room. Being at the back did give her a little opening to show Jon that she was there for him, and after a moment she clasped her pinky finger around his, and after a second felt him reciprocate. 

Neither of them liked to speak in public as anything other than close friends and fellow Captain's, though at this point she was certain that the entire fleet knew about their not-so-secret five year relationship and their slightly-more-secret rekindling. Though she didn't think even they knew where their personal relationship stood at this moment. Mostly they were just there for each other.

Finally they called a halt to the briefing to allow Trip to deal with Elizabeth, and introduce her a little to the rest of  _ Columbia _ 's senior staff. Erika stood watching them for a few seconds, then after whispering to Veronica to take command for a while so she could deal with Jon, then giving Kalil the same instructions and to stay aboard  _ Enterprise _ . None of them needed him to have a resurgence of the depression and PTSD that he'd experienced two years earlier, and Erika was the best place to stop it.

“Jonathan?” She asked the moment they were alone. His quarters were the closest, and she really didn't care where they were, she just knew he needed to let go and tell someone how he felt, get some help dealing with the guilt he was obviously feeling. She hadn't seen him like this since  _ Enterprise _ had returned from the Expanse, and she'd had to save him then too. Not that she minded.

“I don't know how to get past this, Rike.” He admitted almost silently, looking around and realising it was just the two of them. Erika knew he was struggling, purely because of his use of her familial nickname. He was the only person outside of her family she'd ever allowed to use it, and to her nieces he was still Uncle Jon, so even though they weren't technically a couple any more, he was family.

“Maybe you don't get past it.” That was probably the last thing he expected her to say, but she didn't think he could get past this, not until he accepted that it wasn't really his fault. He'd needed T'Pol to go on the mission for a reason, and he'd been told that they'd be safe. He didn't have a say about who lied to him, and what they said. There were gambles captains took whenever they sent crew off the ship, he knew that too.

“Every time I come out here… I feel like I lose something else.” There was a sense of hopelessness in his voice the Erika couldn't ignore, and rather than saying anything else immediately, Erika pulled him to the bed then wrapped her arms around him. Given he was half a foot taller then her, she was glad he didn't put up any resistance and just let her protect him. 

“Need me to help you find it again?” She teased a little, kissing the top of his head as he settled against her chest. She ran one hand up and down his back, then just spoke quietly. Trying to remind him that she was always there. Right around the corner whenever he needed her. “Jonathan, I'm here, in person or on the comm.”

“I know.” He muttered quietly, and she kissed the top of his head again, just letting him talk about what he needed to talk about. Not wanting to push him yet. If it got to that point, she would. “She was one of my best friends, and it's my fault she's dead. My fault her family is without her.” Erika tapped the top of his head with her chin, a mild physical rebuke for the self-blame he was putting on himself. “I told her she had to go.”

There were so many points within that that she could argue. So many things she could point out as being wrong. But she also knew that Jon wouldn't listen to any of them just yet, so instead she stuck to logic, something she was sure that T'Pol would have appreciated too. “You know that isn't how terrorism works, and she had a job to do.” 

“I should get back to the bridge.” Jon said suddenly, and even though he said that he didn't even begin to move away from her. In fact his arms tightened around her if anything. She recognised that as his way of saying that while he knew what he had to do, he wasn't actually in the position to do it. Of course, she'd seen through that, and with Trip and Malcolm both currently out of commission they needed a leader aboard.

“Kalil and Veronica are both in command, Kalil will stay aboard _Enterprise_ to help until you get back to Earth.” She knew that it was only a few more days after everything here was done, but they would all need the help. It was why Gardner hadn't taken that much convincing to allow  _ Columbia _ to divert through Vulcan too. “I've given standing orders to them both. You need a break and I'm not leaving until you've gotten at least 6 hours of sleep.”

“Are you sure?” Jon asked, clearly unsure about what to do or how to do it. Erika could tell he was exhausted, and briefly wondered how much sleep he'd actually gotten since Eckankar. She'd have to ensure that she checked in with the SIU agent who'd be aboard  _ Enterprise _ as well, just to get an update on how things were fairing. Right now though, all she was sure about was that he needed to sleep.

“Positive.” She rested her cheek against the top of his head, holding him closer to her again. He needed this support, and to know that no matter what there was always going to be someone there fighting in his corner. “There's nothing left to do, Jonathan. There's nothing left to do.” She just rocked him slowly and hummed soothingly until he loosened his arms and moved away a little.

“What would I do without you?” He asked quietly, lifting a hand to her cheek as he spoke. Pulled back far enough that she could see he'd been silently crying into her chest. Lightening the mood was really all she could do, and that was something that she wasn't always the best at. She'd find some silly joke to share with him though. “I really don't know.”

“Maybe you'd go crazy and lose it?” She teased, leaning forward to kiss his forehead this time, then pulling back again and wiping the tears from his cheeks. She doubt he'd let himself go this much in front of anyone else, and that made her feel proud again that she was there with him. 

“You're probably right.” He chuckled, then just came to her and kissed her lips softly before resting his forehead against hers. They both just sat there a moment, relishing the closeness they had, even if it was all going to be shattered in a few hours when they returned to the bridge. “I love you.” Jon almost whispered, so quietly that if it wasn't for her excellent hearing she wouldn't have heard it.

“Me too, now come on, let's get some sleep.” Pulling away she slid out of her uniform then climbed into the bed, feeling Jon climb in behind her and wrap his arms around her. If this was how he'd sleep, then this was how they'd stay.


End file.
